A random collection of recipes that I have found, were given to me, or are happy kitchen accidents. You will find weekly menu plans here as well as random posts about housekeeping. Mostly, it's about the food. Enjoy!

Friday, February 17, 2012

Today is Friday. It is a day that a lot of people save for ordering Takeout. In my house, since at least two of the kids have dinner with Grandma, it is a day I usually use for consuming leftovers in the fridge (I like to call it Buffet) Today I made a very easy soup from a couple of odds and ends lurking in my fridge. In fact, I think I spent less time tossing ingredients in my Slow-Cooker than I did typing up this post.

It started earlier in the week when I made a double batch of the sausage filling I posted in the previous week's menu plan. I put the leftover half batch of sausage and tomato sauce into my 2-quart slow cooker with a can of beef broth plus a can of water, a dash of Worcestershire sauce and a few handfuls of bagged coleslaw mix that was going South in my crisper. I simmered it on LOW for the afternoon, and while it was cooking I set up my bread machine to make a lovely Italian loaf to serve alongside. Easiest dinner ever.

Monday, February 13, 2012

It's Monday. It's time for another menu plan. Three of the recipes are coming from this blogger. I love using my crock pot to cook dinner in the afternoon so I can clean up and then only have a few plates to toss in the dishwasher after we eat.

Today: Balsamic Beef Pot Roast with potato and cauliflower mash. (YUM! The onions that cook with this roast are fantastic)Teriyaki Chicken and brown rice (this is prepped and in the freezer now)
Beef Vegetable soup (from the above site)
Sausage-Stuffed bread (see recipe below)Tuna patties (an old standby)
Chicken fingers (probably for the kids when Richard and I go out for dinner on Respite Night)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Remove sausages from casings. Crumble sausage meat together with the beef and cook with onion, and pepper, drain. Stir in tomato, tomato sauce and seasonings. Cut top of of bread and pick out crumbs to create a shell. Fill shell with meat sauce, top with grated cheese. Wrap loaf in foil and bake for 15-20 minutes, until heated through.

Saturday, February 04, 2012

Happy February! A couple of weeks ago I learned the value of inventorying my freezer. Today I am sucking it up and planning a menu based around that sheet so I can economize and decrease food waste. This is here more for me, than it is for you, but if you find a new recipe in my list, then I am happy for you too! Let me know what you think.

Taco Pasta salad and mozza flatbread (home made bread dough pressed out onto a pizza pan, drizzled with olive oil, garlic sprinkles and mozza cheese) Chicken and Spinach Casserole (prepped and baked in cast iron skillet for one-pot cooking)This was SO good and now I am officially in love with creamed spinach Cumin and Lime Roasted Pork Tenderloin with creamed corn
Asian Beef Stir fry (Eat, Shrink and Be Merry cookbook)Split pea soup with Sausage and Pastor Ryan's Blooming Bread the bread was a big win, the soup was a major fail. Part of the problem was a poorly sealing crockpot lid that allowed the soup to dry out into paste. Even if it had worked the kids still would have soundly rejected it.Slow Cooker Pizza CasseroleRichard said that next time this recipe needs to be doubled
Buffet

These recipes are in no particular order as I will slot in the slow cooker meals on days when I need to plan ahead and I like to pick and choose based on the mood of the house on any given day.